Hammer control mechanism



1946.v D. J. PATTERSON 5,

HAMMER CONTROL MECHANISM Filed 001;. 23, 1944 WE r iT 12 i0 \JZI jg 50g 5% 2- 2 51 i I 3 5g 32 IL "16 BE INVENT0R Patented Aug. 13, 1946 HAMMER CONTROL MECHANISM Donald J. Patterson, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Simplex Time Recorder 00., Gardner, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 23, 1944, Serial No. 559,967

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to recorders by which a time record may be stamped on a payroll card or other desired sheet.

It is the general object of my invention to provide improved means for preventing the making of more than one impression on a record card or sheet at a single presentation thereof.

To the accomplishment of this general object, I provide novel means effective to open the hammer circuit after a single impression has been made, and to hold the circuit open until the card has been withdrawn a substantial distance from its stamping position.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combination of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing, which is a diagrammatic view illustrating the construction and operation of my improved control mechanism.

In the drawing I have shown portions ll! of a card guide in which a card C is inserted from the top in the usual manner and is moved downward until it engages a card rest or abutment l2. The abutment I2 is pivoted at |3 to a lever l4, which in turn is pivoted at l5 to a plate I6.

The card support I2 and plate l6 may constitute a movable unit which is shiftable vertically to position records in desired spaces on the card C, but this movable mounting of the support l2 and plate is forms no part of my present invention and is not illustrated herein.

A spring plate is mounted on a block 2| fixed on the plate l6, and a second spring plate 22 is similarly mounted below the block 2|, which block is of non-conducting or insulating material. The plate 20 has contacts and 3| on its under face and the plate 22 has a contact 32 on its upper face. Another contact 34 is mounted on a fixed insulating block 35 and is positioned for engagement by the contact 3|. The lever M has a non-conducting end plate 37 engaging the spring plate 20.

A line wire L is connected to the spring plate 20 and a second line wire L is connected by a wire 40 to a relay solenoid 4| and by a branch wire 42 to a hammer solenoid 43. The solenoid 4| is also connected through a wire 44 to the contact 34 and by a branch wire 45 to a spring plate 46 mounted on a fixed insulating block 41.

The spring plate 46 is connected by a link 50 to the plunger 5| of the relay solenoid 4|. The plunger 5| is normally drawn downward by a spring 52. The plate 46 has a double contact 55 engaging a lower contact 56 when in normal position and an upper contact 5'! when the solenoid 4| is energized and the plunger 5| is ,moved upward. The hammer solenoid 43 is connected by a Wire 63 to the lower contact 53, and the" spring plate 22 is connected by a wire 5| to the upper contact 51.

The plunger H3 in the solenoid coil 43 is connected to actuate any suitable hammer mechanism, such as is shown, for instance, in prior Patent No. 2,102,771, issued December 21, 1937. Such mechanism forms no part of the present invention.

Having described the details of construction and the electrical connections of my improved control mechanism, the operation thereof is as follows:

The card C is inserted in the guides It] and is pushed downward to engage the card support l2 and move the support a limited distance downward after such engagement. Such final downward movement swings the lever i4 and depresses the spring plate 20. The contacts 30 and 32 are first engaged, after which the contacts 3| and 34 are engaged.

Engagement of the contacts 3| and 34 completes a circuit from the line wire L through contacts 3| and 34, wire 44, wire 45, spring plate 43, contacts 55 and 56 and wire to the hammer solenoid 43, which in turn is connected through branch wire 42 and wire 45 to the line wire L. The hammer solenoid is thus energized and an impression is stamped on the card.

A circuit is also closed through the contacts 3| and 34, wire 44, holding solenoid 4| and wire 40 to the line wire L, thus energizing the solenoid 4|. This moves the double contact 55 to break the hammer circuit through the contact 56 after a single blow, and to engage the upper contact 51. A holding circuit is completed by this latter engagement, the circuit being from the line wire L through contacts 35 and 32, spring plate 22, wire 6|, contacts 57 and 55, spring plate 45 and wires 45 and 44 to the holding solenoid 4| and by wire 40 to line wire L. This maintains the solenoid 4| active and at the same time holds the hammer solenoid 43 inoperative, even if the contacts 3| and 34 remain closed. A single blow only of the hammer mechanism can thus be delivered.

The hammer solenoid circuit remains broken until the card C is lifted far enough to allow separation of the contacts 30 and 32, which obviously involves prior separation of the contacts 3| and 34. Consequently, a second impression 3 cannot be made On the card C until the card has been lifted far enough to permit the card support l2, lever i i and spring plate 20 to return to their original raised positions, and until downward pressure is thereafter applied a second time to the card.

I thus effectually prevent the accidental making of two impressions on a card, as has heretofore frequently taken place when a card was somewhat loosely held and was very slightly raised from stamping position. With the present construction, a substantial and definitely intended raising of the card is necessary before a second impression can be made.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a time recorder, a hammer-actuating solenoid, a circuit therefor, a holding solenoid effective to break said hammer circuit, a circuit for said holding solenoid, and a card-depressed switch member having a first contact in the holding solenoid circuit only and a second contact in the holding solenoid circuit and in the hammer solenoid circuit jointly, said two contacts being closed and opened successively by said switch member, with the contact which is in the holding solenoid circuit only closing first and opening last.

2. In a time recorder, a hammer-actuating solenoid, an operating circuit therefor, 'a holding solenoid effective to break said hammer circuit, an operating circuit for said holding solenoid, and a single card-operated switch member effective by a continued downward movement to close the holding circuit at one point and to close the holding solenoid and hammer solenoid circuits at a second point, said holding solenoid be ing immediately operative to break the hammer solenoid circuit after a single impression, and said holding solenoid circuit being maintained until the card operated switch member is returned substantially to initial and fully raised position.

3. In a time recorder, a hammer-actuated solenoid, an operating circuit therefor, a holding solenoid effective to break said hammer circuit, an operating circuit for said holding solenoid, and a card-operated member having a contact in said holding solenoid circuit only and having an additional contact in said holding solenoid circuit and in said hammer solenoid circuit jointly, said contacts being so positioned and connected that the holding solenoid circuit is closed with the hammer solenoid circuit and is maintained closed after said hammer solenoid circuit is broken and until said card-operated member is returned substantially to initial and substantially raised position.

4. In a time recorder, a control system comprising a card-actuated switch member having a substantal operating movement, a hammeractuating solenoid, a circuit therefor, a holding solenoid effective to break said hammer solenoid circuit, a circuit for said holding solenoid, said circuits being closed in parallel, and a second switch member actuated by said holding solenoid l to break said hammer solenoid circuit and to simultaneously close the holding solenoid circuit through a parellel connection, said holding solenoid circuit being thereafter opened during the first part of the return movement of said cardactuated switch member and said holding solenoid circuit being broken at the parallel connection during further return movement of said card-actuated switch member to initial raised position.

5. In a time recorder, a hammer-actuating solenoid, a circuit therefor, a holding solenoid effective to break said hammer circuit, a circuit for said holding solenoid, and a card-depressed switch member having a first contact in the holding solenoid circuit only and a second contact in the holding solenoid circuit and in the hammer solenoid circuit jointly, both circuits being closed by extreme downward movement of said switch member, said hammer solenoid circuit being thereafter opened by said holding solenoid while said switch member remains fully depressed, and said holding solenoid circuit remaining closed and said hammer solenoid circuit remaining open until said switch member is restored substantially to its initial raised position.

6. In a time recorder, a hammer-actuating solenoid, a circuit therefor, a holding solenoid eifective to break said hammer circuit, a circuit for said holding solenoid, and a card-depressed switch member operative to close both circuits on extreme downward movement and operative to maintain the holding solenoid circuit closed until said switch member returns substantially to initial raised position.

DONALD J. PATTERSON. 

